Plans have been unveiled for a Missouri Hyperloop linking Kansas City with high-speed transportation along Interstate 70 to Columbia, Missouri and St. Louis.
Black and Veatch released its feasibility study after 9 months of reviewing the possibility of such a transportation line.
A report by the Kansas City Business Journal indicated the study claimed the Hyperloop would provide a 28-minute ride from Kansas City to St. Louis, compared to the 3.5 hour long drive by car. A trip from Kansas City to Columbia would take only 15 minutes.
Black & Veatch also identified potential station locations, known as portals, which could be located near downtown Kansas City along the riverfront or near Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums, said Drew Thompson, Black & Veatch’s director of data center/mission critical facility solutions and a project lead on the feasibility study. In St. Louis, an ideal location could be at Lambert International Airport, which also is a hub for light rail and bus transportation, Thompson said.
One of the most important aspects the study brought to light is ticket costs, which are expected to cost less than a high-speed rail ticket, Kelly said. A one-way hyperloop trip from Kansas City to St. Louis, for example, would be cheaper than driving when considering the average price of gasoline.
With gas prices currently at about $3 per gallon, it costs about $30 to drive to St. Louis. If prices continue to rise, the cost of 10 gallons of gas could rise above the predicted cost for a one-way hyperloop ticket w of the proposed Hyperloop route that would connect Kansas City, Columbia, and St. Louis. (Hyperloop One)
The Missouri Department of Transportation also owns or manages the rights-of-way along I-70, which eases the path to construction.
The study also found that less time spent on the road could result in a savings of $410 million a year and would lead to fewer accidents along I-70, creating an additional savings of as much as $91 million a year.
